MLB Player News

Belt is starting at first base and hitting eighth Thursday against the Diamondbacks, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.

Belt will drop to eighth in the order as the Diamondbacks stack right-handed bats at the top of their order against left-hander Alex Young. The first baseman is hitting just .194 against lefties this season, compared to .238 against right-handers.

Canha is not starting Thursday against the Astros.

Canha will head to the bench for what appears to be a routine day off as Chad Pinder picks up a start in center field in his stead. Through 11 games this month, Canha is slashing .293/.408/.366 with two stolen bases and a 34.7 percent strikeout rate.

General manager Brian Cashman said Thursday that he expects Stanton (knee) to be able to return in September, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic reports.

The 29-year-old is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list Aug. 25, but Cashman's update signals that Stanton will likely miss some extra time before returning to the major-league roster. He has resumed light baseball activities and is running up to 75-to-85 percent on the anti-gravity treadmill, but he could require a rehab assignment prior to his return. The Yankees have a firm grasp on the lead in the American League East, so the team likely will ensure his long-term health before rushing him back to the majors.

Vogelbach went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Tigers on Wednesday.

Vogelbach squared up for his 27th round tripper of the season in the fifth inning off Edwin Jackson, only his seventh time leaving the yard since June 30. The slugger boasts career highs in both homers and RBI (68), but a prolonged slump (.183 average over the last 31 games) has sunk his average 17 points to .227 over that span. Nevertheless, Vogelbach's 4.5 pitches per plate appearance this season have helped lead to 69 walks and a corresponding .352 on-base percentage, helping tide his fantasy managers over to an extent during his struggles.

Pederson is out of the lineup Thursday against the Marlins, Alanna Rizzo of Spectrum SportsNet LA reports.

Pederson will unsurprisingly take a seat with the Marlins bringing lefty Caleb Smith to the bump for the series finale. Kris Negron will take over Pederson's usual spot in right field and bat sixth.

Ramirez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Andre Fernandez of The Athletic reports.

The Marlins will give Curtis Granderson a spin in left field in the series finale, ending a stretch of four consecutive starts for Ramirez. The 24-year-old remains the Marlins' clear top option at the position, but his hot start following his May promotion from Triple-A New Orleans is a distant memory at this point. He's submitted a .210/.252/.400 slash line to go with four home runs, 16 RBI, 13 runs and no steals in 29 games since the All-Star break.

Winker is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Cardinals.

Winker's absence from the lineup registers as a surprise, given that the Reds are opposing a right-handed starter (Michael Wacha) in the series opener. Perhaps manager David Bell is just eager to take a look at Phillip Ervin, who has had a tough time finding at-bats lately with Aristides Aquino emerging as a regular in the outfield and josh VanMeter also jockeying for playing time in left field. Winker has been excellent since the All-Star break with a .943 OPS, but the production hasn't come with much in the way of fantasy-friendly counting stats. He's tallied three home runs, 12 RBI, 13 runs and no stolen bases in 32 second-half games.

Turner went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's win over Miami.

Turner kicked off the scoring with a 395-foot shot to center field in the first inning off Miami starter Elieser Hernandez. The suddenly red-hot third baseman has now notched four homers in his last three games, going 6-for-11 over that span. Turner was sitting on one home run through his first 34 games this season but has turned things around by hitting 20 in 78 games since.

Harper went 3-for-3 with a walk, two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 11-1 rout of the Cubs.

It's his second multi-homer performance in the last five games, and Harper now sports a .260/.383/.620 slash line in August with six home runs and 11 RBI in 13 games. The expectations that followed his massive contract have contributed to the 26-year-old seeming like a bit of a disappointment in his first season with the Phillies, but Harper is on pace for his second straight 30-homer, 100-RBI campaign.

Jimenez went 2-for-5 with a home run and three runs scored Wednesday against the Astros.

Jimenez took Will Harris deep in the seventh inning to record his 20th homer of the season. While he had a slow start immediately after being activated off the injured list, Jimenez has put together a nice stretch since the calendar flipped to August by collecting at least one hit in 12 of 14 games -- though only five have gone for extra bases. For the season, Jimenez is hitting .240/.294/.463 across 340 plate appearances.